Carrier scraper



Aug. 5, W41. A. D. MCC OLLUM 2,251,338

CARRIER SCRAPER Original Filed Nov. 28, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORAil-g. 5, 1941. A. D. MCCOLLUM CARRIER S CRAPER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Original Filed Nov. 28, 1936 M 0/ & w 6. M

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ATTORNEY A. D. MccoLLu v CARRIER SORAPER Original Filed Nov. 28,

1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR m w m C. M

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 5, 1941 UNITED ST CARRIER SCRAPER Alvie I).McCollum, San Fernando, Calif;

Continuation of application Serial No. 113,198; November 28, 1936. Thisapplication Septem ber 27, 1939, Serial No. 296,832

16 Claims.

My invention relates generally to an earth moving implement and hasparticular reference to an improved carrier scraper.

This application is a continuation of my application Serial No. 113,198,filed November 28, 1936.

For moving earth it is the common practice to employ what is known as acarrier scraper coupled to a tractor or other suitable power device andin which the carrier scraper includes a body portion or bowl into whichdirt is scraped as the implement is moved over the ground surface, theearth passing into the bowl until the bowl is substantially filled andthen an apron or member mounted to cooperate with the front edge of thebowl closes the front edge to retain the earth within the bowl While theimplement with its load of earth is transported to the location at whichsuch earth is to be dumped.

Heretofore considerable difficulty has been encountered in ejecting ordumping the earth from such carrier scrapers due to the fact that atleast a considerable portion of the bowl or load carrying member had aconsiderable horizontal ex tent, making it necessary to push or scrapethe earth from the bowl after the apron or front cover is opened.

Tail plates or ejectors have been employed as plate members extendingacross the interior of the bowl and adapted to be swung forwardlythrough the bowl during the dumping period but such tail plates orejectors occupy a considerable part of the effective load carryingportion of the carrier scrapers so as to reduce the effective capacityofsuch implements. Moreover, it has been difficult to arrange such tailplates or ejectors to substantially clean out the bowls because of thevarying contour of the bowls and the difliculty in causing such tailplates to move through a path which conforms with such varying contour.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a carrier scraperof the character described which includes a bowl member, at least therearward portion of which sweeps upwardly along a curve and in which atail piece is employed which occupies a normal position above themaximum load level of the bowl so as not to interfere with the carryingcapacity of the bowl.

Another object of my invention is to provide a carrier scraper of thecharacter set forth in which the tail plate is so constructed and somounted upon the bowl that during the ejecting action thereof it willpass through a path of movement which conforms with the varying contourof the bowl and thus permits the use of a bowl having a considerablehorizontal portion as well as a curved or upwardly sloping rear end.

Another object of my invention is to provide a carrier scraper of thetype set forth in which the tail plate may be pivoted upon the bowl andyet move through a path of movement conforming with a curved or slopingcontour not centered at the pivot point of the plate.

Another object of my invention is to provide a carrier scraper of thetype set forth in which the tail plate and apron are so coupled togetherthat the opening of the apron is accompanied by a movement of the tailplate into and through the bowl to eject the contents thereof and inwhich the operation of ejection of the material does not begin until theapron has been moved suficiently to an open position to allow thecontents toescape from the bowl.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from astudy of the following specifications, read in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a top plan View of my improvedcarrier scraper;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the scraper with the parts in earthcarrying position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation illustrating the mounting of the fixedtail plate section in connection with the adjacent end of one of thefront apron supporting arms and the actuating gear; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the bowl and front apronstructure and including the tail plate arrangement shown in differentpositions.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, my improved carrier scraper comprises transversely spaced sidebeams I and a rear cross beam 2. Spaced wheels 3, suitably journaled inconnection with the rear ends of the side beams, support the rear end ofthe implement. The forward ends of beams l converge inwardly at anupward slope, as at 4, andare secured at their forward ends to asubstantially vertical sleeve 5. The sleeve 5 is also supported from afront cross beam 6 by means of a center beam 1.

The sleeve 5 is substantially rectangular in cross section and a rackbar 8 extends through the sleeve and is swivelly mounted at its lowerend on the front wheel truck 9 of the implement. A hitch Hi is pivotedat one end to the front truck and projects forward for connection to atractor.

To raise and lower the main body of the implement, the rack bar is movedthrough the sleeve by means of a driven pinion l I journaled in a casel2 on sleeve 5. The pinion is driven from the power take-off shaft ofthe tractor by means of a self-aligning drive shaft and universalgearing mechanism, indicated in part at I3, and of the type shown in myUnited States Patent No. 2,050,- 497, dated August 11, 1936. Rollers Rare mounted in connection with the sleeve to cooperate with the rack barto reduce the frictional drag between the sleeve and bar.

The scraper bowl comprises side plates M which may be secured to theside beams I intermediate the front and rear cross beams while thebottom of the bowl may be formed as a bottom plate l5 having any desiredcontour. As illustrated herein, the contour of the bottom plate includesa relatively long horizontally extending or fiat portion lEa (see Fig.4) and an upwardly sloping or curving rearward portion Hi, the bottombeing formed either as a single plate having horizontally and upwardlycurving portions or may be formed of a horizontally extending plate anda separate curved plate making a smooth juncture therewith.

This shape of bowl provides a relatively great carrying capacity for thescraper carrier since the load of earth may build up within the scraperbowl not only to a relatively great vertical extent but also to asubstantial extent in the horizontal direction. The load carryingcapacity of the scraper bowl is therefore defined by the vertical extentof the side walls or plates I l and the vertical extent of the upwardlysloping or curving portion of the bottom plate [5. Thus as the scrapercarrier is moved forwardly over the ground surface, earth is scraped upat the forward edge of the bottom plate l5, which may be provided with adownwardly extending cutting or scraping plate l1, and the earth sodislodged will be passed into the bowl until the bowl has been filled tothe capacity defined by its walls.

Supporting plates 88 are secured to the side plates I l and projectabove the upper edge thereof, each of the plates l3 having alongitudinal slot i9 cut therein and a horizontal rack bar 20 secured tothe inner face of each plate above the slot.

The tail plate comprises an inner fixed section 2! and an outer section22 slidable therein, the sections extending in width from side to sideof the bowl of the scraper. These two sections are secured together andfunction in the manner hereinafter described.

Stub shafts 23 are fixed to the sides of the inner section 2! adjacentits rear end and project outwardly through the adjacent slot I9. A spurgear 2% is also fixed to each stub shaft inward of the adjacent plate 58and meshes with the corresponding horizontal rack bar 20.

A laterally extending pin 25 is secured to each side of the slidablesection 22 and projects through a slot 26 in the corresponding side ofthe fixed section 2| and thence engages in a slot 21 in the adjacentplate 18. Compression springs S may, if desired, be disposed in theinner sections and engage with the slidable outer section, whereby tostabilize the latter as it moves by reason of the slot and pinarrangement.

The slots 21 are of such configuration that, as the stub shafts 23 arerotated, in the manner hereinafter described, and move forward in slotif; under the influence of gears 24 and rack bars 26, the outer section22 will be positioned at all times with its outer edge in closeproximity to the inner face of the bowl and will follow the changingcontour of the rear end and bottom of the bowl so as to insure completeejection of all of the contents of the bowl. Moreover, if, asillustrated in Fig. 2, the tail plate is swung to a position entirelyclear of the bowl, the slots 21 and pins 25 will guide the outer section22 of the tail plate into alignment with the upper edge of the bowl asthe tail plate re-enters the bowl.

A front apron 28 is provided for closing the open front end of the bowlto hold the contents therein during transportation from the point ofdigging or scraping to the point of dumping of the earth from the bowl,and is mounted ahead of the bowl for cooperation therewith, said apronbeing supported from the stub shafts 23 and the inner tail plate sectionby means of transversely spaced, downwardly sloping arms 29. These arms29 are rigidly fixed to shafts 23 in such position that when the apronis closed and engaging the front edge of the bowl, the tail plate willbe disposed in a position above the height of the maximum load allowedby the capacity of the bowl, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2. In theform of the device illustrated herein, the tail plate and the apronsupporting arms both rigidly mounted upon the same stub shaft 23 so asto move as a unit; that is, whenever the apron is raised or swungupwardly through any arc, the tail plate will swing downwardly through acorresponding arc and I therefore prefer to mount the tail plate andapron in such positions relative to each other that when the apron iscompletely closed the tail plate will be disposed above the top of thebowl. Thus when the tai1 plate is partially raised, as when the bowl isdigging or scraping contents into itself, the tail plate will still bein a position above the maximum expected load in the bowl.

A further advantage is accomplished by this arrangement in that duringthe dumping operations the apron may be raised up sufiiciently to allowthe contents to be ejected from the bowl before the tai1 plate starts toexert ejecting force upon the load. However, it will be understood bythose skilled in this art that other means of coordinating the movementsof the tail plate and the apron may be employed without departing fromthe spirit of my invention provided that during the digging operationsthe tail plate is disposed in such position relative to the bowl as notto interfere with the complete loading of the bowl to its maximumcapacity and that during the dumping operations the apron will havemoved sumciently to provide an exit before ejecting force is exerted bythe tail plate.

The stub shafts 23 are driven from the power take-off of the tractor bymeans of the following structure: Another self-aligning drive shaft anduniversal gear mechanism, a portion of which is indicated at 3B, and ofthe type shown in the above mentioned patent, transmits power from thetractor to a shaft 33 which in turn drives a transverse shaft 32 bymeans of bevel gears 33. The shaft 32 is disposed above and extendsbeyond the ends of cross beam 6, the outer ends of the shaft supportingswivel gear boxes 3 Telescopic shafts 35 extend rearwardly from gearboxes 3&- and are secured at their rear ends in driving relation withthe outer and projecting ends of stub shafts 23 by means of other swivelgear boxes 36 on the outer ends of said stub shafts.

In use my improve-d scraper functions in the following manner: Thetongue HI is connected to a tractor and the tractor power take-offarranged in selective driving relation with the power transmittingmechanisms, shown in part at E3 and 3B. When it is desired to fill thebowl, the sleeve 5 is lowered by means of rack bar 8, pinion l l andmechanism 13 until the scraper blade i'l engages the ground. Apron 28 israised a short distance by slightly rotating stub shafts 2-3 in adirection to raise arms 29 and in the manner above described. As theimplement is drawn forward, the bowl is filled with earth and when full,the apron is closed by rotating shafts 23 in the other direction and thebody raised by raising sleeve 5 relative to the rack bar 8. Theimplement is then drawn to the point where the earth is to bedischarged.

'Io discharge the earth from the bowl, the stub shafts 23 are againrotated in a direction to raise arms 29 and apron 39, which also swingsthe tail plate into the bowl. As the tail plate sweeps through the bowl,the outer edge of slidable section 22 is maintained close to the innerface of the bowl throughout the entire length of the bowl, therebyassuring a complete discharge of all earth therefrom. This isaccomplished by means of pins 25 projecting from the slidable section 22and which pins ride in slots 2'! in plates is.

Not only is the outer edge of slidable section 22 maintained close tothe inner face of the bowl during the dischar e operation but thepivoted axis of the tail plate moves forward during such operationresulting in keeping the tail plate in a substantially vertical positionafter it reaches such position adjacent the junction of the curved backplate with the flat bottom plate. This is accomplished by the use of thespur gears 24 on shafts 23 and which gears mesh with the fixed rack bars26. As the shafts 23 are slidable in and float in slots i9, the shaftsare moved forward under the influence of the gears and rack bars whenthe apron is raised and the tail plate sweeps through the bowl. Thus,when the tail plate reaches the point of final discharge from the bowl,the pivotal axis (shafts 23) of the tail plate has moved forwardmaterially, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The telescopic shafts 3%permit such forward movement of shafts 23 and the attached swivel gearboxes 36. In this manner the tail plate may be maintained in a moreeffective operating position as it closely approaches and reaches thefront edge of a relatively long bowl.

It will therefore be observed that I have provided a scraper carrierwhich is extremely elhcient in its earth moving operations in that thebowl may be constructed with any bottom contour best adapted for maximumload carrying capacities and yet the tail plate will so follow thecontour of the bowl as to insure complete ejection of the contentstherefrom. In addition, it will be noted that I have provided forcoordinating the movements of the tail plate and the apron such thatduring the digging operations the tail plate will not occupy any of theeffective load carrying space of the bowl and the full carrying capacityof the bowl may thus be effectively and eificiently utilized.

Further, by coordinating the movements of the apron and tail plate, asufficient opening of the tail plate to permit ejection of the contentscan be provided before the tail plate is brought into forceful contactwith the load, even though the load carried by the bowl is the maximumof which the bowl is capable.

While for purposes of disclosing the additional advantages of my tailplate and apron construction when associated with a bowl having aconsiderable horizontal extent I have illustrated the mounting apparatusfor the tail plate and apron as providing for a horizontal movement ofthe mounting devices, it will be apparent that the principles of myinvention are equally adaptable with bowls having little or no fiat orhorizontal -portions thereon, the advantages of locating the tail plateabove the maximum load space during the digging operations and theability of the tail plate to follow irregular contour of the bowl beingequally pertinent to such bowl constructions.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, I do not desire to be limited to any of the details ofconstruction shown or described herein, except as defined in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A scraper comprising a bowl, an apron to close the front of the bowl,a tail plate to move from the back of the bowl to the front thereof topush the load therefrom, means connecting the apron and tail plate as aunit so that when the apron is in closing position, the plate will beclear of effective load space of the bowl, and means to control the unitto advance the plate in the bowl and at the same time raise the apron.

2. A scraper comprising a load'carrying bowl having side plates and abottom, at least a portion of which curves upwardly to a positionadjacent the upper edges of the side plates to define amaxi'mum loadcarrying space, a tail plate extending across the bowl for ejectingloads from said bowl, means pivoting said tail plate for swingingmovement through said bowl, means for moving said tail plate throughsaid bowl from an initial position disposing the tail plate clear ofsaid load space, an apron for closing the front of said bowl, meansmounting said apron for pivotal movement relative to said bowl betweenan open and a closed position, and means coupling said tail plate andsaid apron for movement as a unit and with said tail plate so disposedrelative to said apron that said apron will have moved to a partiallyopen position prior to engagement of said tail plate with a maximumsized load in said space.

3. A scraper comprising a bowl having a bottom plate and a back platecurving upwardly therefrom, an apron to close the front of the bowl, atail plate to swing down the back plate onto the bottom plate to pushthe load from the bowl, means connecting the tail plate and apron as aunit so that when said apron is in closing position the tail plate is ina position above the effective load space of the bowl at the back, andmeans including a rotary shaft pivoting said unit on the bowl at a pointsubstantially at the center of curvature of the back plate.

4. A scraper comprising a load carrying bowl having side plates and abottom, varying in contour between a horizontally disposed portion andan upwardly curving rearward portion extending to a position adjacentthe upper edges of said side plates to define a maximum load carryingspace, a tail plate extending across said bowl for ejecting loadstherefrom and comprising an inner section and an outer section slidabletherealong, means pivoting said tail plate for swing ing movementthrough said bowl, means for moving said tail plate through said bowlfrom an initial position disposing the tail plate clear of said loadspace, and means associated with said tail plate for urging the outersection of said tail plate into close proximity to the surface of saidbottom throughout the movement of said tail plate through said bowl.

5. A scraper comprising a load carrying bowl having side plates and abottom, varying in contour between a horizontally disposed portion andan upwardly curving rearward portion extending to a position adjacentthe upper edges of said side plates to define a maximum load carryingspace, a tail plate extending across said bowl for ejecting loadstherefrom, means pivoting said tail plate for swinging movement throughsaid bowl, means for moving said tail plate through said bowl from aninitial position disposing the tail plate clear of said load space, saidtail plate having an outer edge radially movable with respect to saidpivot, and means for positively moving said outer edge in a radialdirection along a path corresponding to the varying contour of saidbottom as said tail plate moves through said bowl.

6. A scraper comprising a bowl having a bottom plate, the forwardportion of which is flat, and a back plate curving upwardly from thebottom plate and making a smooth juncture therewith, a tail platecomprising an inner section and an outer section slidable therein, arotatable shaft fixed on the inner section, means mounting the shaft onthe bowl for rotation and movement lengthwise of the bowl, means torotate the shaftiin a direction to swing the tail plate down andforwardly from a substantially horizontal position at the top of theback plate of the bowl, meanscausing the shaft to advance along the bowlas it is rotated, and means acting on the outer tail plate section withsuch rotation and movement of the shaft to causethe outer end of theouter tail plate section to closely follow the inner surface of the backand bottom plates of the bowl.

7. A structure as in claim 6, in which said shaft advancing meanscomprises a rack fixed on ,1"

the bowl and disposed parallel with the path of advancing movement ofthe shaft, and a gear fixed concentric with the shaft and engaging therack.

8. A structure as in claim 6, in which said last named means comprises aspring between the inner and outer tail plate sections and acting toforce the latter outwardly. I

9. A structure as in claim 6, in which said last named means comprises aspring between the inner and outer tail plate sections and acting toforce the latter outwardly, and a pin projecting laterally from saidouter section, the side of the bowl having a guide slot for the pin.

10. A structure as in claim 6, in which said last named means includes apin projecting laterally from the outer section of the tail plate, theside of the bowl having a slot to guide said pin throughout the lengthof swinging movement of the tail plate.

11. A scraper comprising a bowl having a bottom plate and a concavelycurved back plate, a tail plate to swing through said bowl and contactthe back and bottom plates, means fnounting the tail plate on the bowlincluding a cross shaft at the inner end of the tail plate, meansmounting the shaft on the bowl for rotation and movement lengthwise ofthe bowl, means to swing the tail plate down and forwardly about theshaft as an axis from a position adjacent the top of the bowl, and meansacting on the shaft and functioning with the swinging of the tail plateto cause the shaft to advance along the bowl.

12. A structure as in claim 11, in which the shaft is rigid with thetail plate, the shaft advancing means comprises a downwardly facing rackfixed on the bowl above the shaft extending lengthwise of the bowl, anda gear fixed concentric with the shaft and engaging the rack.

13. A structure as in claim 11, in which the tail plate includes anouter radially movable section, and means acting on said section tocause the outer edge of the same to follow the contour of and remainadjacent the back and bottom plates with the swinging and advancingmovement of the tail plate.

14. A scraper of the class described, comprising a bowl having a bottomplate and a back plate curving upwardly from said bottom plate, a tailplate mounted in said bowl, movable pivots carried by said tail plate,means associated therewith to cause said tail plate to swing downwardlythrough the bowl from an initial normal position above the effectiveload space of the bowl to unload said bowl, and means associated withsaid bowl and said plate to control the rotary movement thereof toconform to the inner contour of said bowl.

15. A scraper of the class described, comprising a supporting framehaving a scraper bowl mounted therein and including a bottom plate andan upwardly curved back plate, a swingable tail plate mounted in saidbowl, movable pivots carried by said tail plate, means associated withsaid tail plate at the pivot points thereof to rotate the same from aninitial position above said bowl and to and through said bowl, saidmeans tending to cause said plate to conform to the contour of the bowlthroughout its movement and a movable apron mounted in the opposite endof the bowl and cooperating with the movement of said tail plate.

16. A scraper of the class described, comprising a supporting framehaving a scraper bowl mounted therein and including a bottom plate andan upwardly curved back plate, a swingable tail plate mounted in saidbowl, movable pivots carried by said tail plate, means associated withsaid tail plate at the pivot points thereof to rotate the same from aninitial position above the effective load space of said bowl and throughsaid bowl, and said means tending to cause said plate to conform to thecontour of the bowl throughout its movement and a movable apron mountedin the opposite end of the bowl and cooperating with the movement ofsaid tail plate to unload the scraper bowl, and means for adjusting theposition of the scraper bowl relative to the surface of the ground.

ALVIE D. McCOLLUM.

